Zingiber
Zingiber officinale
Zingiber (Zingiber officinale) is a plant drug, from the Zingiberaceae family. 6-Shogaol (dehydrated product of gingerol, predominant in dry ginger/Shunthi) has better bioavailability (~40-50%) and 2-3x greater biological potency.
| Botanical name | Zingiber officinale |
|---|---|
| Family | Zingiberaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Zingiberales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 2757280 · NCBI Taxonomy 94328 |
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2007 to 2024, 9 with a DOI.
- 2Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 8Other clinical studies and reviews
- 2Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
This entry and ginger describe the same drug, Zingiber officinale, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Zingiber |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Katu | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Tikshna | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Madhura | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (Shunthi/dry ginger powder), Svarasa (fresh ginger juice), Capsule, Tablet, Softgel (CO2 extract), Kwatha (decoction), Essential oil, Tincture, Crystallized/preserved ginger, Syrup, Paste
Standard Dosage: 1-3 g dry ginger powder twice daily; 5-10 mL fresh juice with honey; 250-500 mg standardized extract capsule twice daily; 1-2 g fresh ginger as food
Optimal Timing: Before meals for digestive stimulation and anti-emetic effect; with meals for carminative action; morning with warm water for metabolism activation; traditionally taken 30-60 minutes before travel in motion sickness
Storage: Fresh ginger at 12-14 deg C, 65% RH (not below 10 deg C to avoid chilling injury). Dry ginger in airtight, moisture-proof containers at 15-25 deg C. Oleoresin and essential oil in amber glass, tightly sealed, at 15-25 deg C. Protect from light and heat.
Marker Compounds: 6-Gingerol, 8-Gingerol, 10-Gingerol, 6-Shogaol, 8-Shogaol, 10-Shogaol, Zingerone, Zingiberene, beta-Sesquiphellandrene, ar-Curcumene, beta-Bisabolene
Synergistic Combinations
- Part of Trikatu: Shunthi + Maricha + Pippali - universal bioenhancer
- Lemon + ginger - anti-nausea combination with complementary mechanisms
- Turmeric (Haridra) - anti-inflammatory synergy
- Yashtimadhu (licorice) - GI protective combination
- Honey - traditional anupana for respiratory and digestive conditions
- Guduchi - immunomodulatory combination
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses2
- 2023. Extraction, Purification, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities, and Applications of the Polysaccharides from Zingiber officinale Roscoe. (Ginger): A ReviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 37175266 · doi:10.3390/molecules28093855
- 2021. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and its bioactive components are potential resources for health beneficial agentsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 32954562 · doi:10.1002/ptr.6858
Other clinical studies and reviews8
- 2024. A critical review of Ginger's (Zingiber officinale) antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activitiesFrontiers in nutrition. PMID 38903613 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1364836
- 2022. Zingiber officinale var. rubrum: Red Ginger's Medicinal UsesMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35164040 · doi:10.3390/molecules27030775
- 2019. Bioactive Compounds and Bioactivities of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)Foods (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 31151279 · doi:10.3390/foods8060185
- 2018. Ginger and TestosteroneBiomolecules. PMID 30360442 · doi:10.3390/biom8040119
- 2015. Gingerols and shogaols: Important nutraceutical principles from gingerPhytochemistry. PMID 26228533 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2015.07.012
- 2012. Ginger PMID 38381909
- 2008. Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a review of recent researchFood and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. PMID 17950516 · doi:10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.085
- 2007. Ginger: an overviewAmerican family physician. PMID 17575660
Laboratory and animal studies2
- 2024. Ginger Root PMID 33351444
- 2024. Phytocompound identification of aqueous Zingiber officinale rhizome (ZOME) extract reveals antiproliferative and reactive oxygen species mediated apoptotic induction within cervical cancer cells: an in vitro and in silico approachJournal of biomolecular structure & dynamics. PMID 37639378 · doi:10.1080/07391102.2023.2247089
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.